Books Reviewed

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 933, 28 March 1930, Page 14

Books Reviewed

AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY. LONG after Captain James Cook had demolished the myth about the existence of a Great Southern Continent stretching from the tropics to the South Pole, some people held the idea that Australia would be found to consist of two or three vast islands intersected by narrow seas The first European settlement in Australia was made in 1788; yet it was not until 1803 that the hypothesis of a bifurcated Australia was destroyed by the explorations of Matthew Flinders. There remained then the task of ascertaining the nature of the interior of the continent. This presented great difficulties anu called for much courage and endurance. Later generations living in settled districts served by modern means of communication scarcely realise how difficult was the work of the explorers of either Australia or New Zealand, in Australia, occasion to send out important exploring expeditions was not reduced to a minimum until about 1875, by which time the general character of the continent was well known, though parts of it remained unexplored—even to-day there are rather large areas that are practically unknown. A few years ago an Englishman of letters who compiled an anthology of very interesting passages from the vast literature of travel included In it some extracts from Captain Charles Sturt’s book about his expedition into Central Australia That was a tribute to the literary merit of Sturt’s book, as well as to the interests of his travels. But. besides producing fine books of travel, the history of Australian exploration has had its great tragedies, its gallant marches to death.

The original narratives of the men who lifted the veil upon the interior of the Australian Continent are scat tered over many volumes. Some of the volumes are very rare; few are easy to obtain. Able writers have summarised the work of these explorers, but it is much Dior? interesting to have the stories of the more important expeditions in the words of their leaders. Professor Ernest Scott, of Melbourne University therefore, has done highlv commendable service in bringing together, in one book, a collection of these original narratives and excising only the less interesting oarts. The book in which he has done ►his is the second volume of his “Australian Discovery.” the first volume o! which we noticed a few months ago. and w'hich was devoted to exploration by sea. It lg an admirable volume, enhanced by a fine introductory essay by Professor Scott, and very well produced. ‘•Australian Discovery. Vol 2: By Land.’* Edited bv Ernest Scott. Professor of History tn the University of Melbourne. J. M. * Dent and Sons. Ltd., London. Our tot>v from the publishers. Strange Happenings Miss Dolf Wyllarde, author of “Captain Amyas” and many other novels, is a writer who is never afraid of saying what she thinks and of making her characters say what she thinks they should think. One can always expect therefore to obtain, in a book bearing her name, a tale told with virility and with all the spades definitely labelled spades. More than that, she has ”eal skill in the creation of characters In “Tales of Strange Happenings,” Miss Wyilarde offers us a series of short stories ranging from fantasy to grim drama. None is less than readable: some are excellent. The most fantastic probably is “The Passion of Susan Tremlett,” in which there is unfolded a strange case of transmuta tion and the spirit of the plain heroine of the tale enters a rather attractive body and wins for herself the man ot her choice. “Hear It Unaw'are” is a quaint conceit revolving round the chaste kiss of Diana. “Yesterday,” a dramatic tale of a desperate girl’s departure from convention and the particularly poignant retribution that overtook her; “The Changeling,” a convincing story of the little men cf

Flytox—the powerful and pleasant insecticide. Stainless—will not spoil dainty fabrics non-poisonous fragrant.—l 3.

the moors and Gipsy folk; “I Heard Voices, —” a slice of tropical life on a lonely desert outpost. “The Sinless Summer” is a rather charming picture of a courtesan -who lived en princcsse while recovering from a nervous breakdown, and who succeeded in arousing in a hitherto-loutish young man all his very finest qualities of chivalry and romance. A very interesting collection. •'Stories of Strange Happenings.” Mills and Boon, Ltd., 49 Rupert Street, London W.l. Our copy from Sands and McDougall (Pty), Ltd., 37 and 3S Mitre Street, London, E.C.3, sole New Zealand agents for the publishers.

A Very Good Thriller. At least one reader of “The Mystery of the Fifth Tulip” is a little curious as to whether its author, Donald Deane, is a new writer, as is suggested by the fact that no previous w r ork by him is named in the book, or whether he is a practised novelist under another name. The construction of thi3 tale seems to have been done by an experienced hand. The core of the mystery, the existence of an ecclesiastical treasure hidden at the abolition of the monasteries in England, is an old one, but it has been reshaped, and round it has been woven with skill a very intriguing puzzle. The plot of this thriller is good. But more than that lifts the tale above the ordinary run of thrillers. The author has a good style of writing, he uses good English, and he has a very distinct gift for characterisation. His characters are of types more varied than are presented in the average thriller, but at no time do they give the impression that they are mere puppets making heir entrances and exits to suit the •uthor’s purpose. We should mention hat the hero of the story is an elderly dergyman whose characteristics are ndlcated very deftly. We hope to read more of Donald Deane’s work. “The Mystery of the Fifth Tulip.” Donald Deane. John Hamilton, Ltd., London Our copy from the publishers. Plenty of Mystery. In top form again, Fleming Stone. Carolyn Wells’s detective, does some brilliant psychological work in her latest novel, “Triple Murder.” When Maxwell Garnett’s third wife died in auspicious circumstances, just as her predecessors had, things looked murky for Garnett. They took on a deeper hue when it was discovered that Gar nett had changed his name. Fleming Stone was called in, and he solved a seemingly impossible problem by the use of psychology and- clever deduc tion. “Triple Murder” is written in Carolyn Wells’s best vein, and admirers of Fleming Stone should have his latest performances on their book dielves.

“Triple Murder.” Carolyn Wells. J. 1 Cippincott Co., London. Our copy froi •Yhitfiombe .ami Tombs. Ltd.

About America. All works of travel have their interesting sections, but the average man often has not the time to wade through pages of facts and figures that remind him too much of the geography text hooks he studied at school in order to find those sections. Professor R. J. A. Berry _ recently of Melbourne University, must have had that in mind when he wrote “Through the ' States With a Seeing Eye,” for all j “heaviness” has been avoided and the result ie a book both enlightening and ; amusing. To the Colonial, America stands for a country of huge manufacturing concerns, with a teeming population intent on the race for the almighty dollar. Of its people we are lamentably Ignorant for two reasons. We have no mutual sports that would lead to an exchange of teams and ideas, and secondly the few American tourists who visit the Dominion are naturally persons of considerable wealth and therefore representative of but a small section of America’s huge population. Professor Berry’s little book removes any doubt that may have existed as to the human side of the American. It deals briefly for the most part, but in considered detail in a few instances, with practically every angle of life in the States, taking the form of 25 talks which were broadcast originally from two Melbourne stations, and for this reason there is an intimate note not often found In books. From New York the reader is mentally transported to Boston, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, -and other large cities in rapid succession. And all the while the author maintains a running commentary on the principal places of interest, the customs, manners and life of the people, and important personages both past and present. Based as it is on the author’s per- j sonal experiences, one feels that in this book there is a straight-forward, unbiased opinion on America to-day, and for this reason the student ot history' will not i-egret the time spent reading it. "Through tire Slates With Seeing Eyes.” Richard ,7. A. Berry. John Wright and Sons, Ltd. Our copy from the publishers. A Nature Notebook Those who found pleasure In Mr. W. P. Pycraft’s "Random Gleanings from Nature’s Fields,” a selection from his weekly essays in the “Illustrated London News,” will be interested in a second selectian, “More Gleanings from Natures’s Fields.” Mr. Pyeraft, who holds a position in the Zoological Department of the British Museum, has the happy knack of explaining the curiosities and wonders of Nature with a minimum of technical detail. He chats to us—“chats” is the mot juste ■ —of crabs, octopi, bay-willows, glowworms, rooks, grasshoppers, skinks, lamp-suckers, oak-apples, the purple orchis, porpoises and star-fish; of curious viviparous fish and prehistoric birds, and he even discusses that hardy annual among puzzles: “Which Came First—the Hen or the Egg?” “More Gleanings from Nature’s Fields.” Methuen and Co., Ltd., London. Our copy from the publishers. A “Thriller” “What is done thoroughly is done well” is an elastic maxim that presumably applies to the type of story known as the “thriller.” “The Man Who Could Stop War,” by William Penmare, is done extraordinarily well according to the best tradition of its kind. It is a good “thriller” because: (•a) The plot is improbable; (b) there is a sufficiency of bloodshed; (c) there is a pretty heroine and a handsome and brilliant hero; and (d) the hero and the heroine marry, or at least arrange their marriage, on the last page. The young and cultivated Englishman, who is also an extremely brilliant scientist (though there is very little science in the book) and who invents the usual enormously powerful explosive, is attacked by the usual foreign spies, now, of course, in the pay of the Soviet, which seems to have beaten Germany in the market for the supply of brutal and villainous spies. As usual, he defends his secret until the last moment, giving it up only to save the heroine. Then a series of extremely fortuitous accidents enables him to regain it and, for good measure, there is an attempted invasion of Europe by Russia, which the young scientist foils by means of a new paralysing gas which he has discovered by accident. By the way, he does not sell his secret to the British Government. Mr. Penmare is more up-to-date than that. It goes to the League of Nations to help it in preventing war. Yes, a good “thriller”! “The Man Who Could Stop War,” by William Penmare. Published by Hodder and Stoughton. Our copy from the publishers’ Sydney representative. Mr. W. S. Smart.